Congregational Announcements
MCC Benefit: Elma Goertz is dispersing household “stuff” (furniture, kitchen items, books, yard, workshop, etc. etc. etc.) through an open house/benefit at her home at 205 Wheat Street in Goessel. Everything will be available by donation and all proceeds will benefit Mennonite Central Committee. Dorothy, Naomi and Emily will be home to do this over Labor Day weekend, so please stop by to say “hi” and perhaps pick up a few things. Hours for this event are: Fri, Sept 1, 9am-8pm; Sat, Sept 2, 9am-6pm; Sun, Sept 3, 1-6pm; Mon, Sept 4, 9am-6pm. -the family of Elma Goertz
Women’s Community Bible Study: Starting August 31, all women are invited to the Goessel Mennonite Church for an 11 week long video series bible study called Breaking Free by Beth Moore. We will start at 6:30. Childcare is available for $5 per hour per child.
Stories & Stuff: Welcome to another year of Stories & Stuff. Our first gathering will include a demonstration of water dowsing with Paul Graber. Meet in the south rooms on Thursday, September 14 at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome!
Help Needed: 6 Tractor Drivers to drive the Parking Lot Shuttle at the State Fair Thurs., Sept. 14. Times needed: 1-4 pm; 4-7 pm; and 7-9:30 pm. FREE TICKET. To volunteer, see Jerry Toews.
Church Campout: Come to Camp Mennoscah on September 16-17 for our church retreat focusing on the theme: “Stories of Hope.” Please return registration forms (found in mailboxes or on the table in the foyer) to the box in the foyer by September 10. We hope that everyone can join us, even if just for Sunday morning.
Saint Francis Community Services is in need of new or gently used clothing for kids of all ages entering foster care. If you have some hand-me-downs you’d be willing to donate, please get them to Mandy Funk.
Thank you for your donations to the Tabor Food Pantry this summer. Every time our shelves seemed to empty, groceries were donated to replenish in time for the next client. The pantry has seen frequent use throughout the summer and needs of our clients and new clients continue. Most needed are: oatmeal, boxed meals (Hamburger Helper/Rice-a-Roni type meals), canned tuna and chicken, soups, mashed and boxed potatoes, rice, cereal, pancake mix, syrup, cake mix, canned fruits, apple sauce, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, mixed vegetables (we have plenty of green beans, corn and peas), dish soap, laundry soap, shampoo, and paper grocery bags. Our checking account to purchase gift cards to Keith’s Foods for perishable grocery items is also running low. Cash donations are appreciated as well. Thank you for your continued support of this community ministry. Those who use the Food Pantry are very appreciative.
The Second Monday Family History and Genealogy Group will be meeting Monday, September 11, 7:00 p.m., in the Goessel museum Preparatory School. Steve Fast, director of museums in Hillsboro, will speak on “The Battle of the Grandmas.” He will share information on which version of the Mennonite genealogical database to choose and how to use each one. The meeting is free and open to the public.
Worship and the Arts Symposium: “Seasons of the Soul: Enacting the Mystery of Faith”, Saturday, November 18 at Bethel College. Registration fee is $40 or $25 per person when 3 or more people from the same congregation register and pay as a group. Fee includes Friday evening performance “Slightly Left of Normal” by resource person Ted Swartz, and Saturday lunch and supper. If you plan to attend and want to be included in the group rate, please contact the church office for details.
Garden Produce: If you have extra garden produce that you would like to share, please leave it on the table in the foyer. Anyone may take some home. You may leave a donation for the food pantry ministry.
Conference Announcements
Prayer Requests:
« Western District Conference: Pray for WDC congregations in Texas, as they cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and for all who are responding with assistance and support for flood victims.
« Mennonite Mission Network: Janie and Neal Blough of Mennonite Mission Network have committed most of their adult lives to ministry in France. Pray for them as they continue to share the good news of Jesus through lectures, workshops, and in worshiping with their multicultural congregation, a visible witness to the “healing of the nations.”
Western District Conference
Responding to aftermath of Hurricane Harvey: Please pray for WDC’s 14 congregations and church plants in Texas, particularly for those most impacted by flooding in the Houston area. Associate Conference Minister Byron Pellecer is keeping in contact with WDC pastors and with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), as we continue to assess how WDC can best offer support. MDS is accepting financial donations for hurricane response at https://www.mds.mennonite.net. See also this article from The Mennonite at https://themennonite.org/daily-news/reports-houston-mennonites-path-tropical-storm-harvey/
The Upside-Down King Bible Study – Several years ago The Upside-Down King musical by Doug and Jude Krehbiel and Carol Duerksen was presented in several locations in Western District and also the Mennonite Church USA convention in Columbus, Ohio. Carol Duerksen has now written a Bible study that continues to share Jesus’ message as found in Luke’s gospel.
Camp Mennoscah:
—Work & Play Camp: Sept. 29-Oct. 3. For folks of all ages. On Sunday, Oct. 1, we’ll break from our routine with worship and the annual meeting. Come for a day or for the full camp. NO COST for this retreat! Please let us know you’re coming.
Camp Mennoscah’s Annual Meeting is Oct. 1 at 5:30pm in the Camp Mennoscah dining hall. Everyone is invited. Please RSVP. More information coming soon!
—Scrapbook & Crafts Retreats: Nov. 3-5 and Nov. 15-17.
Information for all retreats at Camp Mennoscah or to register:
Online at www.campmennoscah.org Telephone: 620-297-3290.
Email: office.
Contact: olivia.bartel.
#ActionAlert from MCC – All the Mennonite Central Committee Material Resource Centers in the U.S. need a combined total of 7000 comforters by November! Yes, you read that right, 7000 comforters are needed to fulfill the requests from MCC partner organizations in Iraq, North Korea and Syria! Save the dates to join the effort at the MCC Mini Comforter Blitz at the MCC Center in North Newton on September 29 and 30. Check katemast, 316.283.2720.
MCC has heard a call from many churches and individuals to work at gun violence prevention, in all of its forms. Suicide is among other parts of this work, as 2/3 of all gun deaths in the US are suicide. MCC is anxious to hear from others as we begin to work at this. Please share your voice with us in this survey, about your experiences with and perspectives of gun violence, so that we can understand how best to work with churches and communities on this topic. ike AND/OR Jessica Buller at jessicabuller
In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the “war to end all wars,” the National World War I museum in Kansas City is hosting a symposium on resistance and conscientious objection leading up to and during WWI. “Remembering Muted Voices” is Oct. 19-22 and explores the whole range of people who objected to and resisted WWI, from religious persons to socialists to suffragists. Registration is $125, with $99 early bird registration available through Sept. 8. Co-sponsors for the symposium include Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Historical Society, The Mennonite Quarterly Review, and Rainbow Mennonite Church. For more information, see https://www.theworldwar.org/learn/remembering-muted-voices
The annual MCC Flatlander Bike Ride will be held on Saturday, September 16, originating at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) offices, 121 East 30th, N. Newton. The registration brochure is available in the church office or on the MCC website: mcc.org/get-involved/events/mcc-flatlander-bicycle-ride. Contributions for this MCC project from non-bikers should be made payable to MCC; “Flatlander Bike Ride” written on the memo line; and sent to: MCC, PO Box 235, N. Newton, KS 67117.
Save the Date—IBA Benefit Dinner: The annual Instituto Bíblico Anabautista (IBA) benefit dinner will take place Fri., Sept. 15, 6:30 pm at First Mennonite Church in Newton. Dinner is by donation. IBA is a program of Mennonite Education Agency’s Hispanic Ministries for Leadership Development and Pastoral Education. For any inquires contact Violeta Ajquejay at:VioletaA or call 316-281-4342
Jesus calls us to visit the prisoner! At Hutchinson Correctional Facility there are over 50 inmates who are waiting for a visit. Through Offender/Victim Ministries’ M-2 Program, you have the opportunity to visit an inmate one evening a month. New volunteer training for M-2 will be on Monday, Sept. 18 at 12:00pm at Hutch Correctional Facility or Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 6:30pm at Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton. Please contact Ben Kreider for more information at ben or (316) 281 5244.
Bethel College:
Centering Prayer will not meet Mon., Sept. 4 (Labor Day), but continues most Mondays from noon-1 p.m. in Agape Center in Richert House on the Bethel College campus. For more information, contact Nathan Koontz, 2nathankoontz, or Melanie Zuercher, mzuercher.
Sun., Sept. 10 – Rachel Waltner Goossen, professor of history at Washburn University, will speak on “The Great War and Legacies of Peace Witness,” to introduce the special exhibit “Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War,” 3 p.m., Kauffman Museum. Opening reception for the exhibit is at 4 p.m.
Tues., Sept. 12 – KIPCOR 30th-anniversary celebration continues with Leonard Pitts Jr., 7 p.m., Memorial Hall at Bethel College. Pitts will speak on “What Now? America in the Age of Trump,” and sign copies of his books.
Hesston College:
Don’t miss out on the fun and learning planned for all ages and the whole community during A Hesston College Homecoming Sept. 22 to 24. The “Grounded in Community, Globally Engaged” weekend will speak to the tradition of a strong campus community, the college’s role in the larger community, and the global perspectives and connections Hesston College maintains. The inauguration of Hesston’s ninth president, Dr. Joseph A. Manickam, will also take place. Go to hesston.edu/homecoming for a full weekend schedule, event descriptions and registration.
Getting ready to retire? Everence® Financial will present informational seminars this fall to help you make informed decisions. An overview of Medicare will go over what’s covered (and what’s not), enrollment deadlines and plans that supplement Medicare. It will be offered at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11 and Nov. 6. Retirement income strategy will help you think through your retirement income and expenses, discuss risks than can impact your savings, and strategies to help your income last throughout retirement. It will be offered at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2 and Dec. 4. All seminars will be at Everence Financial Advisors, 3179 N. Main St., North Newton. To reserve your spot, contact Michelle Ramer at (316) 283-3800, (877) 467-7294 or michelle.ramer.
Parkinson’s Support Group: The Parkinson’s Support Group will meet at Kidron Bethel Tuesday, September 5, at 2:00 p.m. All are invited to hear Jim Schrag share his journey with Parkinson’s Disease.
The FloraKansas Fall Native Plant Sale will be held September 8 to 10 at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Hesston. Kansas’ largest native plant sale offering many species of wildflowers and grasses many of which are rare in cultivation. Memberships to the Arboretum can be obtained on the day of the sale. Arboretum members receive a 10% discount at all arboretum plant sales and may participate in the members only pre-sale on Thursday, September 7 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call 620-327-8127 or visit www.dyckarboretum.org.
Sept. 3 announcements
